Merchandise display device



Jan. 26, 1960 5. J. BERGER ETAL MERCHANDISE DISPLAY DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 22,

Jo/m/ 6. Evan/ayes Jan. 26, 1960 s. J. BERGER ETAL 2,922,552

MERCHANDISE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed 001:. 22, 1956 304 J. fiieese JOHN G. 81/54 5086 lWERCHANDISE DISPLAY DEVICE Sol J. Berger and John G. Rivenburgh, Chicago, 111., assignors to Berger-Rivenburgh, Chicago, 111., a partnership Application October 22, 1956, Serial No. 617,359

8 Claims. (Cl. 222185) This invention relates to a merchandise display device and more particularly to a combined display and dispensing device for the effective mechandising of packaged goods.

It is an object of this invention to provide a merchandising display device of low cost and of rugged construction, which may be fabricated of cardboard, corrugated board and analogous sheet materials and which may be shipped and stored in a knock-down state for assembly and erection at the point of utilization.

It is another object of this invention to provide a display device which may be used effectively in all types of mechandising establishments and in particular in grocery supermarkets for the display and dispensing of packaged goods such as cans, cartons, etc., requiring a minimum amount of attention or servicing by the store personnel but which, nevertheless, exerts tremendous eye-arresting appeal to the customers in order to stimulate the sales of the products displayed thereat.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a merchandise display device which may be used in conjunction with either counters or shopping carts of the type used extensively in modern supermarkets, to impart mobility to the display for the purpose of locating it at optimum locations of the business establishment.

The invention proceeds upon the principle of providing a merchandise display device in the form of an upstanding retainer or supply chute for the purpose of retaining the merchandise in a form conducive to self-service by the customers seeing it, without requiring the assistance of any of the store personnel. In accordance with some preferred embodiments of the invention, the retainer is in the form of a supply chute of substantial dimensions, which is adequate to have loaded therein a large quantity of the merchandise desired to be dispensed and which automatically replenishes the goods to the dispensing point as the same is picked up therefrom. The unusually large size of the supply chute feeding the merchandise to a dispensing point in haphazard fashion and in large volume conveys an effect of a modern cornucopia which increases substantially the sales appeal of the goods. The display chute is particularly effective when it is seated within a shopping cart and when the chute is provided with an opening in one wall thereof adjacent to the bottom of the cart through which the merchandise being displayed is discharged into the shopping cart, and which is automatically refilled from the chute as customers withdraw the merchandise from the shopping cart.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter,

taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one preferred embodiment of the merchandise display device in accordance with the invention, used in conjunction with a shopping cart;

Fig. 2-is a perspective view of the merchandise display device;

United States Patent F Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view along line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a baffle plate at the bottom of the display device to facilitate the movement of the merchandise through the opening at the bottom of the chute;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the merchandise display device;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the display device, utilizing two component parts'rather than an integral construction;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the invention having a chute of increased capacity;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of an upstanding retainer for cartons of merchandise especially adapted for counter use; and

Fig. 9 is arear perspective view of the retainer shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 1 is shown a shopping cart W which is adapted to support therein a dispensing chute C for different items of merchandise such as cartons or canned goods R, to attain an effective and eye-arresting merchandise display and dispensing arrangement. This unit is characterized by a high degree of mobility and portability, requiring a minimum amount of servicing and attention by store personnel, and affording maximum accessibility of the merchandise to the customer.

The display and dispensing chute C is preferably formed of inexpensive sheet material which may be corrugated board of the type used in the manufacture of packing boxes and the like, and the same is scored, stamped and folded in a manner known in the art of box manufacture so that the same may be stored and shipped in knock-down form and may be set up quickly'at the point of utilization without need of special tools or skilled help.

Preferably the dispensing chute is formed of rectangular section having a rear wall 1, side walls 2 and 3 and a front wall 4 having opening 13 adjacent the lower end thereof. The walls may be scored along three of the vertical junction edges thereof, for example, 9, 10 and 11, and a sealing tape or staples may be employed to interconnect the rear wall 1 and side wall 2 along the edge 12.

The opening 13 in the wall 4 may assume different configurations and, as shown in Fig. 2, part of the material which is stamped from the front wall to obtain the recess therein is employed to obtain guide extensions 5 and 6 of the side walls 3 and 2, respectively, which extensions project from the score lines 9' and 10', respectively, forming continuations of the junction edges 9 and 10 between the front wall 4 and the side walls 3 and 2, respectively.

The extensions 5 and 6 flare from a point at a substantial distance above the bottom of the chute to the maximum width at the base, which may amount to onehalf the width of the front wall 4. In addition, retaining flaps 7 and 8 project inwardly from the lateral extensions 5 and 6, respectively, for the purpose of anchoring the dispensing chute onto the support therefor, which may be the shopping cart illustrated in Fig. 1, or a conventional counter if the dispensing chute is used in conjunction with the latter type of support.

By virtue of the fact that the dispensing and display device may be of substantial dimensions, for example, approximately 4 in height and of a frontage of 15" and depth of 12", as long as the same is accommodated in a commercial shopping cart, an imposing display assembly is produced thereby as the goods in the chute spill through the opening at the bottom of the chute into the forward part of the shopping cart, as shown in Fig. 1,

In order to induce the continual travel of the goods through the display chute, a baflle plate 14, which may be fabricated from the same sheet material as is the rest of the unit, may be disposed at the bottom of the chute. This baffle plate is preferably detachable and has acentral part 15 disposed at. an angle of approximately 45 relative to'the horizontal plane of the support. The flanges 15 and 16 are disposed adjacent tothe side Walls of the device and serve to seat the baffle plate 14 between the inner edges of the retainer flaps 7 and 8 in substantial alignment with the front recessed 'wall4 of the device and the rear wall 1. The batlle plate serves to guide the merchandise through'the openings 13 without jamming of the contents, nomatter what geometrical shape or angle of repose the merchandise may have." When the dispensing chute is disposed adjacentto the rear part of the shopping cart, and the same is charged from the top thereof with the goods sought to be displayed and'dispensed; the merchandise exercises its natural tendency to gravitate towards the bottom of the chute and to be directed by the baffle plate 14 thereat to direct the goods towardsthe forward part of the shopping cart wh'ereat the same may be picked up by the customers; merchandise at the forward part of the shopping cart is self-replenishing as long as there is a supply in-the body of the chute C and this requires but intermittent attention by the store personnel.

As pointed out above, the merchandise display device shown in Fig. 2 may be fabricated from an integral piece of cardboard which is suitably scored and stamped by cutting an opening 13, resembling an arrowhead, from the face 4 thereof. Such a cut not only provides a sufficiently large opening at the bottom of the wall 4, but also the guide extensions 5 and 6 which are bent into the planes of the side Walls, without need for additional sheet material. The flaps 7 and 8, extending from the bottom edges of the guide extensions 5 and 6, respectively,

are of sufiicient area to retain the chute within the shopping cart or basket with adequate stability by the super-position thereof with the goods loaded thereupon. Nevertheless, a more rigid assembly may be fabricated at a slightly higher cost, as shown in Fig. 5. Such an assembly embodies, inaddition to the guide extensions 20 and 21,= projecting forwardly from walls 2 and .3, respectively, an upstanding wall 22 between the forward terminals of extensions 20 and 21. The flaps 27 projecting from the extensions 20 and 21 function similarly to the flaps 7 and 8 in the preceding embodiment, to press the merchandise display device into contact with a support therefor which may be a counter or a shopping cart.- .The enlarged base portion of the chute having an open part at the front thereof and the shaft portion formed by the walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 of lesser cross section than the base extending upwardly from the rear part thereof, results in a stable unit which may be used to advantage on a counter, even without the additional stabilizing effects aifordedzbytbe side Walls; of a shopping cart.

In=some instances it may be more economicalto fabricate the merchandisedisplay device from a plurality of component parts rather than from an integral unit. Thus, inFig. 6 is shown a base trough-formed of side walls 20' and 21', rear Wall 23 and front Wall 22 with lateral flaps 27' serving to maintain the base into contact with its support. The upstanding shaft portion of the display device, consisting of walls 1, 2, 3 and 4- may be seated Within the trough-like base with a recess 13 in the wall 4 cooperating with the base portion to obtain a merchandise display and dispensing unit functioning irra manner similar to that shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 illustrates another variation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 wherein the base portion is identical to that shown in the embodiment of Fig. 5 in order to accommodate the base within a conventional shopping cart. However, to increase the capacity of the shopping unit, thewidth ofthemain body of the chute C is widened by The enlarging the width of the rear and front walls 31 and 34 and by providing bridging walls 36 and 37 between the walls 20 and 21 of the base and the walls 32 and 33 of the main part of the chute C.

In Figs. 8 and 9 is illustrated an effective form of display device which is particularly useful when used in conjunction with counters and with which may be incorporated an elfective display sign. This merchandise display device may likewise be formed of corrugated cardboard having side walls 42 and 43 which, in conjunction with the rear wall 40, serve to confine packages of merchandise P in natural stacked relation. Retainer flaps 44 and 45 project inwardly from the side Walls 40, 42 and serve to retain or anchor the display device onto the counter by the weight of the packages resting thereon. As the supply of packages is diminished by customers lifting the packages therefrom the store personnel stack up new packages therein.

As shown in Fig. 9, semi-circular tabs 46 may be struck in a transverse direction from the wall 40 of the display device. Aligned openings 47 in these tabs are adapted to receive a post 48 therethrough, at the upper end of which'maybe mounted an effective display sign 49.

While the display devices described above are preferably fabricated from sheets of cardboard or corrugated board of low cost, the units may be formed of metal or plastic sheeting, and in some cases more effective displays may be attained by the use of transparent plastic sheet material.

While we'have described our invention as embodied in specific forms and as operating in a specific manner for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that we do not limit our invention thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit ofour invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

We claim:

1. A merchandise display device comprising an upstanding supply chute in combination with a support on which the chute rests, said chute being formed of sheet material and of rectangular cross section and with the walls of the chute excepting one terminating adjacent to said support, said one wall having an opening adjacent to said support to permit the merchandise to gravitate through said supply chute and to pass onto said support through the opening in said last-mentioned wall and opposed flaps extending inwardly from the Walls on the opposite sides of the Wall with the opening and adapted to rest on the support and be superposed by the merchandise in said chute to anchor said. chute onto said support.

2. A merchandise displayv device comprising an upstanding supply chute in combination with a support on which the chute rests, said chute being formed of sheet material and of rectangular cross section and one upstanding wall of the chute having an opening therein adjacent to said support to permit the merchandise to gravitate through said supply chute and to pass onto said support through said opening, guide extensions at the bottom of the side walls on the opposite sides of said one wall projecting forwardly of said one Wall, and opposed flaps extending from said extensions at the bottoms thereof and in a direction inwardly of the chute and adapted to be superposed by the merchandise in said chute to retain said chute on said support.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said support is a shopping cart for receiving the bottom of said chute, and a battle plate at the bottom of said chute for directing the merchandise therein towards the one wall and the portion of the shopping cart forwardly thereof.

4. A'knock-down merchandise display device comprising an upstanding supply chute in combination with a support therefor, said chute being formed of sheet material and of rectangular cross-section and having an opening in one intermediate upstanding wall thereof adjacent to said support to permit the merchandise to gravitate through said supply chute and to pass onto said support through the opening guide extensions at the bottom of the side walls on the opposite sides of the one wall and projecting forwardly of said one wall, said extensions being derived from at least part of the lower portion of said first-mentioned wall whereat the opening is formed, and opposed flaps extending from said extensions inwardly of the chute and adapted to be superposed by the merchandise in said chute to anchor said chute onto said support.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said chute is stamped from an integral sheet of cardboard adapted to be scored and stamped for joining along the junction of one of the side walls with the wall opposite the wall with the opening therein.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said guide extensions originate from the junction lines of the side walls and the recessed wall and are stamped therefrom to extend forwardly a distance no greater than half the width of said wall with the opening therein.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said extensions flare outwardly from the junctions of the side walls and wall with the opening therein at a point above the bottom of the chute to the maximum width at the bottom thereof, with the flaps extending from said extensions of corresponding width, and a detachable foldable baflle plate extending upwardly at an angle of approximately 45 having supporting flanges adjacent to the side walls of said chute which fit within the chute between the inner edges of the flaps in alignment with the wall with the opening therein and the wall opposite thereto.

8. A merchandise display device comprising an upstanding supply chute in combination with a support on which the chute rests, said chute being formed of sheet material and with the walls of said chute excepting one terminating adjacent to said support, said one wall having an opening adjacent to said support to permit the merchandise to gravitate through said supply chute and to pass onto said support through the opening in said last-mentioned wall, and a flap extending inwardly of the chute from at least one wall at the bottom thereof and adapted to rest on the support and be superposed by the merchandise in the chute to anchor said chute onto said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 990,628 Bowes Apr. 25, 1911 1,341,893 Fitzgerald June 1, 1920 1,554,071 Downs Sept. 15, 1925 1,566,545 Larson Dec. 22, 1925 1,785,105 Wozniak et al. Dec. 16, 1930 1,966,676 Marsh July 17, 1934 2,649,348 Calhoun et al. Aug. 18, 1953 2,684,792 Kraus July 27, 1954 2,754,998 Doepke et al. July 17, 1956 2,797,815 Gonna-n July 2, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 290,795 Great Britain May 24, 1928 

